


The Changing

by Corrine_Pierce



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Paranormal, Psychic Abilities, Romance, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-05-01 17:51:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5215109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corrine_Pierce/pseuds/Corrine_Pierce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Rylie Sommers wanted to do was live peacefully with her son, Aidan. The last thing she needed was his estranged father's family to waltz into their lives unannounced. It's not long before Rylie learns things about herself and her son that challenge everything she thought she knew of the world. Will she be swept away in this family's sea of secrets?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_“Wait for me, okay?”_

_“Okay.”_

Then the warmth from his body was gone, and she was standing there alone, in the dark. She called out for him, but there was no reply, so she stood there like she said she would and waited. Even when the cold crept in. It got so bad that she couldn’t feel her limbs, and the numbness spread to the rest of her until she thought she would suffocate. Still she fought it, holding on to the hope that he’d save her.

 _Where are you?!_ She’d cry and scream, but only silence was her answer. When she finally realized that he wouldn’t return, everything stopped. There was nothing, and she wanted the despair she felt to swallow her whole.

Suddenly, a new warmth appeared. It was small and weak. She reached for it, and something in her told her that she shouldn’t let it be crushed by this darkness in her, that she couldn’t let it happen.

_Hey!_

That warmth started to expand, wrapping itself around her, and she heard a low crying.

_Wake up. He needs you. It’s time to wake up._

  
The crying started again, louder this time, cutting through the fog in her mind, and Rylie Sommers opened her eyes. It took a moment for the disorientation to pass, but she quickly gathered her thoughts and turned toward the source of the noise. Her one year old son, Aidan, was awake next to her on the pillow, his face wet and nose runny. She sat up and gathered him into her arms.

“Aw, baby, what’s wrong?” she asked, wiping off his face before holding him against her. His cries quieted down and he rubbed his face into her breast, whimpering softly. He had always been the type of baby to sleep through the night. Rylie rocked him, humming a soothing melody, then took a sweeping glance of the only bedroom in their tiny apartment, searching for anything out of place that might have roused her son from his sleep. Her eyes finally fell on the glowing cell phone screen on the nightstand next to her. She grabbed it and peered at it, her eyes not prepared for the brightness. It was 2:49 in the morning. She had missed a call, and had forgotten to put the phone on vibrate before retiring for the night. The ringer must have woken Aidan.

Rylie jumped when the phone went off again and Aidan’s shrieks began anew, almost harmonious with the blaring ringtone. Now she was as aggravated as he was. She punched the green answering icon and pressed her phone to her ear. “Hello?!” she had to raise her voice slightly to be heard over the wailing. There wasn’t any answer.  
She huffed, her annoyance increasing. “This had better not be a joke, whoever this is. It’s almost three in the morning and my baby is trying to sleep.”  
Still nothing but silence. She sighed and moved the phone to hang up when she heard noise. “What was that?” she asked, no longer having any patience with the caller.

“Good evening, Miss Sommers.” The man on the other end of the line sounded older, and Rylie could detect a European accent to his voice.

“Excuse me, sir,” Rylie replied, trying to keep the formality, “but it is not really a good evening. You have called me twice in the middle of the night, and you have woken me and my child rather abruptly. Do you know what time it is?”

“My apologies, Miss Sommers, my assistant is a bit ignorant when it comes to the different time zones of our contacts.”

“Contacts? Do I know you?”

“No, my dear, but I know very much about you. You’re quite unique when it comes to American doctors.”

Rylie rolled her eyes, knowing he was referring to how young she was when she had received her Ph.D in pediatrics. She had just finished the program when she found out that she was pregnant with Aidan. A few months later, she turned 23.

She could hardly remember the time before her son came into her life. Actually, it was more like she didn’t want to remember it. She realized now that all of her accomplishments before Aidan was born were simply outlets for all of the pent-up anger she had felt for her parents all of her life. They had abandoned her, leaving her in a broken system with broken people who had tried to damn her to their same fate.

She was stubborn though, refusing to be treated as garbage to be thrown away. Her perseverance led her to graduate both high school and college before she turned 16, and receive a free ride to medical school, where she’d met the one person who had never made her feel disposable or replaceable.

Rylie shook her head, bringing her thoughts back on track. The man on the phone was saying something. “Could you repeat that, sir?”

“I’d like you to come work for me.”

“Excuse me?”

“You did not mishear me. I want you to become my family’s private pediatrician, and come live on my estate with us here in France. You would be the perfect addition to our team of physicians.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” she said. “Hold on. Why are you asking me this?”

The man sighed. “My family needs some…fresh perspective. I believe you can provide that which we need.”

“Well, I’m flattered, sir, but I would need some time to think about this. And I’d have to let my job know and—“

“I have already spoken to your employer in lengths. This was some time ago. Your administrator had nothing but good things to say about you.”

Rylie was speechless. Clearly, this had been in the works for a while. She was going to kill her boss, Jason, for not saying something to her sooner. “Sir—“

“You do not have to be so formal with me, Rylie. My name is Malachi. Malachi Duvont.” Definitely French.

“Okay, Mr. Duvont—“

“Malachi,” he interrupted her again.

“Sir, please! I just—I’m just trying to get my head around this. You want me to move to France to work for you? What about my son?”

“Obviously he’d come with you. There are other children here, and my family would love to welcome one more.”

“Excuse me for not jumping with joy at the offer. This is just way too farfetched.”

“Oh I understand completely,” Malachi said, his tone changing ever so slightly, but Rylie noticed it. “You have never given your trust wholeheartedly to another person, save one, and as you should.” Before she could ask how he knew about that person, he continued. “Instincts like that can save your life, but you’re too smart for your own benefit, and you’ve been standing out like a sore thumb. That’s not good, Rylie. There are other powers at work here, and your safety—along with Aidan’s—is my main concern right now. You’ve felt it haven’t you? An unsafe presence, perhaps? Like your little family is being watched?”

How did he know her son’s name? She looked down at the infant in her lap. He had ceased crying, and stared at her with his green eyes bright from the moonlight shining in them. Rylie didn’t want to admit it, but Malachi was right. Lately, she had been feeling off. She was hesitant to leave Aidan alone, even at his daycare, and she sensed eyes on her whenever she walked to or from work. At first, she thought the feelings would go away, but they never did, only persisted until she was afraid to leave her home. She had started using her sick days to cover her paranoia. Why did he even care? Was he involved, somehow? “Now, how would you know about that, Malachi? Have you been watching us?”

“Trust me, Rylie. Give me the benefit of the doubt. Once you are here, I will tell you everything you need to…” he trailed off, and she could her someone speaking in the background.

“Sir? Malachi?” Rylie was furious that this stranger knew so much about her and her son. Just how extensive was his knowledge of them? She was waiting for him to get back on the line so she could lay him straight. A shiver went up her spine, and her heartbeat started racing, and she couldn’t understand why, then she heard a noise coming from outside her bedroom. Rylie was all too familiar with the sound.

Someone was breaking into her apartment.

Rylie tried to rationalize what was happening, explain away the coincidence of Malachi’s call and a break-in. They didn’t live in the nicest of neighborhoods anyway, so it’s not like this was unexpected. In fact, they had been robbed before, but her body was telling her this time was different, and these urges had never led her astray. Good thing she kept six different types of locks on her door. It was meant to keep them busy, but by the sound of the clicks, this was a professional and would take no time at all.

“It seems we have been discovered, my dear,” Malachi said.

“What?!” she hissed. “So this _is_ your doing?”

“No, no, no. Remember those other powers I was talking about earlier? Now listen to me. Take the fire escape and run with your son. Someone will be waiting for you at the corner of Hawthorne and Hayes Street. Go now!” He hung up and Rylie was left staring dumbstruck at the cell phone in her hand. What did he just say? This can’t be happening, could it?

The sound of locks opening one by one proved that it could, indeed, be happening. She bolted into action, throwing on running sneakers and a jacket and hat for her and Aidan, all while moving as quietly as she could, not trying to alert the thieves to her actions and spurring them to move faster. She grabbed the baby pack, placed the baby into it and strapped him onto the front of her body, facing her. He didn’t make a single noise, for which she was immensely grateful. She didn’t take anything extra other than her phone and the knife she hastily strapped to her thigh. As quickly—and quietly—as she could, she opened the window and carefully stepped onto the fire escape. Moving fast, she climbed down each level.

Rylie was almost to the ground when the bitter autumn wind decided to whip through the buildings, blasting her and Aidan. She knew her son felt it, even through his jacket and hat. He hated the cold and without fail, he let out a loud cry. She sighed. From her apartment, Rylie heard the sound of wood breaking, the burglars hearing how far away Aidan’s voice was and deciding to forego any sense of subtlety. She had just landed on the concrete when someone leaned out of her window and spotted them. The person shouted something to their counterpart and they ducked back into the building. Rylie didn’t need any more encouragement than that. She took off, clutching Aidan to her so that he wouldn’t be jerked around while she ran wildly, but still had room to breathe. She knew where Hawthorne and Hayes was, it wasn’t that far from her apartment building, but her apartment was only on the fourth floor, meaning her pursuers would be on the ground coming after them very soon. She tried not to think about that, to only focus on running.

 _Left, right, left, right, come on Rylie. You can do this. Just keep running._ She didn’t slow for a second, even when she heard rapid footsteps behind her. The heavy sound of the steps made her think of an animal, a big one. _Oh great, now I’ve got a dog after me, too._ She turned the corner onto Hayes Street and saw a running car waiting at the end of the block with the door to the backseat open. Unfortunately, the running steps behind her were getting closer, and she was starting to panic. She wasn’t going to make it. They were going to get her baby, whose crying was now in full force.

_Help… Somebody help me!_

A figure stepped out onto the sidewalk, blocking her way. Rylie’s first thought was to slow down as to not run into them. He had his arm held out in front of him, and Rylie saw the glint of moonlight of the barrel of his gun. Was he going to shoot her? What should she do? The distance between them was closing fast, but not as fast as the distance between her and the animal chasing her. Rylie could hear the animal’s rapid breath and almost screamed, had the fast approaching figure not said, “Put your head down and don’t stop running!” She immediately did as she was told, and heard a gunshot go off. The bullet whizzed past her head, striking whatever was behind her. The enraged sound that came from her pursuer was definitely not human, but she had never heard any dog make that noise either. It was loud, and reverberated through her body, down to her bones. It was the sound demons made in those new age horror flicks, and she lost it then. She dove into the backseat of the car, turning on her shoulder as to not land on Aidan.

At the last second before the car door closed, she looked back and saw a huge creature disappear into the shadows, limping from the shot. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out.

Rylie didn’t move, even the figure who shot her assailant returned to the car and they took off. She laid there, heaving and clutching her child. Then she started to cry hard sobs that rocked her whole body.

“Rylie,” she heard one of the men in the front seat say. “You need to calm down.”

“Calm down! The hell do you mean calm down?! What the fuck was that?!” She was hysterical now, her voice high pitched. Her scream made Aidan cry even louder.

“It will be alright,” he said in an eerily serene way. “You are frightening your son. Please be calm.”

Rylie’s head started to hurt, and she wanted to lay down, but she was going to get answers before going anywhere with strangers who shoot monsters for a living. “No! I will not be calm until you tell me what’s going on!” Her head started pounding harder, the pain shooting through her skull. She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her face, messaging her temples in a vain attempt to relieve the pain.

The men in the front seat exchanged a glance, and then the one in the passenger seat turned around and reached for Rylie, placing his hand on her opposite temple. She opened her eyes in shock, but couldn’t say anything before he said, “Sleep.”

Immediately, her eyes rolled back, and she fell back against the leather seat, unconscious. Her arms were still around Aidan, who started to make distressing noises when his mother suddenly stopped moving. The man placed a hand on the boy’s head and put him to sleep as well.

As he turned back around, the driver regarded him with a sly look. “Getting rusty there, man? When’s the last time you actually needed to touch someone to knock them out?”

“It wasn’t my fault,” the other man retorted. “The adrenaline in her system must have made her averse to my persuasions. Her mind was too scattered to focus on something like sleeping.”

“Hmm…yeah, that could be it…or you’re losing your touch.”

“Shut up.”

“Well, what about the kid?”

“Definitely a half breed,” he replied while cracking his window to light up a cigarette.      

“What do we do, man? He didn’t tell us anything about a fucking half-breed!”

His smoking companion shot him a cool glance. “We’re going to do as we’re told, unless told otherwise. Boss knows what he’s doing. Better not be flaking out on us after all this time, man. Not now.”

“I’m not flaking. I’m just worried. This has never happened, as far as we know.”

“Just trust him, alright? And keep your eyes on the road, you know your driving is shaky in this country.”

“Everything’s backwards here, why don’t you do it for a change?!”

The bickering continued until they reached their destination: a small, abandoned airstrip in an overgrown field just outside of the town.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Leave me alone! Where is my son?!” Rylie demanded, holding her defensive position by the window. She had woken up dazed on a plane, of all places, with her son nowhere in sight. Any attempt to console her was met with a ferocity that surprised even Rylie herself. After the pursuit from her apartment, she found she had no patience for strangers, especially strangers who continued to keep information—and now her son—away from her. “Bring him to me now!”

            The staff of the small, private plane were at a loss of what to do. Rylie could see they were conflicted with following orders or giving in to the pleading of the distraught young woman.

            A voice spoke up from behind the small crowd around Rylie. “It’s all right Miss Sommers. I have Aidan.” She hadn’t heard anyone approaching. The staff straightened immediately at the words, their eyes downcast as they moved out of the way for the newcomer.

            Rylie recognized that voice, but wasn’t prepared for the actual person that came with it. Malachi Duvont’s body was surprisingly fit for an older man, with muscle covering wide shoulders and leading down to a slim waist, all the way down to his legs that seem to go for miles. The man stood well over six feet, and Rylie had to crane her neck up to see him from her sitting position. He had a strong jawline, and his face was clean shaven. The only things that gave away any hint of old age other than the head of gray hair were the lines around his mouth, and the wise, weathered look in his eyes. The green eyes met her brown ones, and Rylie felt goosebumps rising on her skin, but she didn’t look away. The initial attraction she felt quickly changed to uneasiness as she sensed something unsettling coming from his kind and welcoming face.

            She was so distracted by the older man in front of her that she failed to notice the infant on his hip who was calling and reaching out to her. Malachi broke the silence first, releasing Rylie from her trance. “Aidan is right here, and as you can see, he is fine and eager to be reunited with his mother.” He leaned over to hand Aidan over to Rylie, and she gathered her baby in her arms and held him tightly against her. Aidan giggled, his small hands grabbing at her face as she tried to subtly check his small body for injuries. When she found none, she loosened her hold, bouncing him a bit on her lap before looking up at Malachi. He had watched the exchange patiently, not taking offense at the presumption that he had somehow hurt the boy.

            “You have nothing to fear, Rylie,” he said, sitting next to her. “I would never harm family, or allow harm to come to them.”

            “Family?” she asked.

            “I whole heartedly apologize for not bringing this to light sooner, but after everything that’s happened, you deserve to know. Little Aidan here is my great grandson.”

            At first, Rylie didn’t believe him. _How cliché,_ she thought. _Long lost family, suddenly showing up in our time of need? Oh, please._ She was just about to voice how absurd she believed Malachi’s thoughts to be when she caught his green eyes again. This time they shone as his face crinkled with laughter, amused that it had taken her this long to connect the dots. Malachi’s eyes held the same emerald tone as both Aidan and his father. She didn’t know why she hadn’t noticed immediately.

            All she could do at first was sit there in shock. Then, surprisingly, she laughed. It started as a chuckle, then grew into a hearty laugh that left her out of breath for a moment. This entire situation felt like it was ripped from a mystery novel. First a break-in, then an escape with a strange foreign man, and now a sudden reveal of family blood ties.

            She sighed. “I can’t believe this. Why now? This can’t have just been a coincidence.”

            Malachi nodded, folding his hands in his lap. “You’re right. It wasn’t. My family is very influential, and there are those who would do anything to get leverage to use against us. Your son is one such piece of leverage. We’ve known about you and Aidan for some time now, but it was safer to make sure your connection to us remained under wraps. Unfortunately, circumstances don’t always happen the way you wish them to. It’s imperative that you stay with our family now that your existence is known to our…adversaries. It is not only for your protection, but for all of us.” He stopped when he saw the confused look on her face. “I cannot apologize enough for springing this all on you at one time.”

            Rylie said nothing. Her head was starting to catch up to these new developments, and her mind was spinning with questions.

            “This is a lot to take in,” Malachi said. “I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.”

            “Honestly,” she replied, “I know this sounds stupid, but I’m more overwhelmed by the thought of seeing Aidan’s father again than I am of anything else that’s happened.”

            “Understandable.”

            “Is he…going to be there when we get there?”

            “No, though he lives on the estate with everyone else. You’ll have some time to meet the rest of the family and staff first. My grandchildren are off travelling in Eastern Europe right now, but they should be back soon.”

            Rylie took a deep breath to try and calm her racing pulse. “Okay. So, what happens now?”

            “Well, we’re going to land within the hour, so— “

            “No, I meant me and Aidan. What are our lives going to be like now? Yesterday, I had a job that I loved, and Aidan was in daycare with all his buddies. Not only are my son and I being targeted like we’re in with the mafia, I have to see—and live with—my good for nothing baby-daddy. And— “Rylie looked like she was going to cry, and Aidan started to fuss as she slowly lost her composure.

            Malachi placed a calming hand on Rylie’s arm. “Breathe, Rylie.” His voice was soothing, but held a commanding undertone. The thoughts flying through her mind didn’t slow, and she closed her eyes and took three deep breaths. Aidan was looking at her with wide eyes, not used to seeing his mom as upset as she’d been recently.

            “Ma…” he said, reaching a hand out to touch her cheek.

            Rylie’s hand covered the much tinier one, and she opened her eyes and smiled at her baby. He smiled back, and her heart calmed instantly. She placed a kiss in Aidan’s palm and he squealed in delight. “Ma! Ma!” he called, kicking his little legs. It had been months since he’d started saying words, and he didn’t do it often, but it always seemed to happen at the right time.

            “It’s okay,” she said to him, to Malachi, to herself. “I’m fine. We are going to be fine.”

            She turned her head to look at the older man who had saved their lives, and found him beaming at them.

            “What?” she asked, a bit embarrassed at almost having a panic attack.

            “I’m just happy that you’re so loving and open with your child. That’s something my family severely lacks. Maybe you’ll rub off on them.”

            “I just don’t want them to hate me. They might get the wrong idea about us. Plus, I’ve never been good around people. Kids are easy, adults aren’t. They’re overly complicated. Take Aidan’s father for example.”

            “Don’t be too hard on him. He wasn’t aware of Aidan’s existence. And he has been through a lot these last few years as well.”

            “I bet.”

            “Why don’t you use his name?” The question came out of the blue.

            Rylie didn’t answer right away. She ran her fingers through the curls in Aidan’s hair, watching the spirals bounce back into place. “I guess speaking of him so personally would ruin all the time and effort I’ve wasted keeping him out of our lives.”

            Malachi seemed satisfied with that. “Now, back to the original topic: my offer still stands for you to be the pediatrician here. My grandchildren are well past the age of being old enough to find mates and start their own families, and I am expecting many little ones running around soon, along with the few I have already.”

            She laughed. He had made his statement with the most serious face, as if there would be no argument. “That’s so typical of a grandparent. All you want is babies, babies, and more babies.”

            “Well we need something to get us through the trials of old age.”

            Rylie gave Malachi a hard side-eye. “Speaking of old age, you’re Aidan’s great-grandfather? Now way, you can’t be that old. Not with a body like that.”

            The older man’s laugh lifted her spirits. “Well thank you for that. Luckily, good genes run in the family, but looks can be deceiving. Please remember that, especially here.”

            “Of course. I wouldn’t have made it this far if I took everything and everyone at face value. Don’t worry about me.”

            He didn’t reply, only sat with his eyes closed and a smile on his lips.

            In her arms, Aidan stilled, leaning his head on her chest and placing a thumb in his mouth. His eyes started to droop as a voice came through the intercom. “This is your captain speaking. Touchdown in five minutes. All passengers please fasten your seatbelts.” Rylie did as instructed and was surprised that Aidan managed to fall asleep and stay that way through the jostling of the landing and the bustling of staff preparing to exit.

            Rylie looked out the window as the plane descended, and what met her eyes took her breath away. At first glance, all she saw were waves of reds, oranges, and yellows flowing in an endless sea. The tress billowed ethereally in the wind, and seemed to make the world move in slow motion along with transforming shrubbery. As they fell below the tree line, they were swallowed up by the thick forest on either side of the airstrip. Rylie could hardly see ten meters inward. The plane slowed until they entered a well-hidden bunker. Aside from the slight jangling on impact, everything was silent for the duration of the landing. None of the staff made any noise that she could hear, even after the engines shut down. Malachi sat next to her, calm, unhurried, watching the efficiency of his employees with something close to pride in his eyes. Rylie was afraid to speak, afraid of accidently ruining their flow.

            A young man came up to them, gave a slight bow to Malachi, and continued on his way silently.

            “Well,” Malachi said, getting up to yawn and stretch, “that’s our cue, love. Please follow me. We will be escorted to the estate and then we can focus on settling the two of you in.”

            Rylie nodded and got up to follow him, her unconscious infant curled up in her arms. The staff was lined up near the exit of the plane and down on the ground at the end of the stairs, looking at them expectantly. All at once, Rylie felt extremely embarrassed. She felt anxious being treated as some important guest when all she was was a woman who got knocked up by their master’s grandson. Yet, not one person she passed on the way to the waiting car had any sort of resentment in their faces, most of them didn’t seem to care. She even saw the two men that were in the car the previous night when she and Aidan had been chased from their home. One of them winked at her, and the other gave her an apologetic smile. That helped calm her down. She got into the car with Malachi and they set off immediately, the bunker disappearing behind them in a matter of seconds. She didn’t remember falling asleep, or even closing her eyes, but suddenly there was someone tapping on her arm.

            “We’ve arrived, Rylie.”

            She awoke groggily, not exactly remembering where “here” was or why she was there. Again, all she saw were trees. Then the forest started to fade and she got a glimpse of what had to be every countryman’s dream. Acres of fields rolled across the landscape, with different types of livestock and produce coming together harmoniously. In the distance to her left, she saw rows and rows of fruit trees and a vineyard. When she peered across Malachi’s lap in wonder at the world to her right, and was left breathless for the second time that day. The manor—it looked like a small village, with small structures clumped into groups and attached by wide walkways paved with beautifully patterned stones and outlined with benches and trees. She couldn’t see very far in from their position in the car, but she could see a light gray roofing of a large, single building standing in what had to be the center of the complex.

            “Wow,” she whispered as the car turned into the long driveway. She turned Malachi. “How many people live here? This looks like its own town!”

            “In a sense, yes. That is what we are. This estate has been in my family for generations, but blood relatives have never been the only people to inhabit it. My grandfather decided to slowly expand, and I have just put the finishing touches on another set of homes for newcomers. There are more than a hundred residents living here. You and Aidan, of course, will be staying in the main house with the rest of the us.”

            Rylie hoped that the look on her face accurately portrayed how uncomfortable she felt with the plan, but Malachi pretended not to notice and continued, “We are almost completely self-reliant here. We provide our own produce and livestock, have our own source of fresh water, and are completely off the electrical grid. The nearest town is over an hour away by car.”

            Rylie thought she was being paranoid, but she swore she heard a subtle threat in that last sentence. _Don’t get any ideas, Rylie. You can’t escape from here._

            She shook her head. She was being ridiculous. Why would she think about escaping? There was nowhere else for them to go, anyway. Turning her attention back to Malachi, she listened as he told her more about those living on the estate. Rylie was impressed at how he knew each family by name, even if she couldn’t remember who was who mere seconds after the man pointed them out. She could tell that he treasured every man, woman, and child under his care. It helped warm her up to him even more.

            The manor that she had previously thought was in the center of town was on the furthest edge of the village, with lush gardens and grounds in the front, and more thick forests to the back of it. The ominous sight of the trees slowly surrounding the home gave her chills, even in broad daylight.

            “Oh dear,” Malachi sighed.

            “What is it?” Rylie asked, still distracted by the home she would soon dwell in.

            “It seems my grandchildren have returned early.” He pointed to the group of servants moving back and forth through the front door to take care of what seemed to be a small mountain of luggage by the front steps. “I haven’t had the chance to inform them about you, and well…they may be a bit resistant to the whole thing.”

            “You’re saying that as if it’s no big deal! Should I be expecting hostility?” She held Aidan tighter.

            “Honestly, I would be lying if I said no.”

            Rylie swallowed. “Even from— “

            “I’m not too sure how he will react to any of this. He has always been...different than his cousins.”

            “Wait. So, you’re telling me that he doesn’t know anything? You didn’t even tell him he has a son?! After you knew for how long?!” She was feeling even worse about this now that they were going to drop the B-bomb right onto the guy.

            “There were things he needed to do that couldn’t be done— “

            “—If he was distracted by his own child?” The man’s answering silence was all she needed. “Wow, that’s low, old man. I guess you were right when you said that looks can be deceiving. I would never have guessed that you could be so manipulative.” With that, she flung the door of the car open furiously, almost hitting the young woman on the other side of it. The whole car was surrounded by people now, and she had been too absorbed in her argument with Malachi to notice. Her anger immediately withered and she was instantly claustrophobic, pushing back against the car with the still sleeping Aidan in her arms. The young woman, who was older than Rylie was, she noticed, was staring at her curiously with wide, blue eyes. She was also taller than Rylie, and thinner. She had pale skin with some freckles over her nose, and long brown hair. After a moment, she smiled at Rylie and stuck out her hand.

            “Hi!” she exclaimed in French. “I’m Arya! It’s nice to meet you! Who are you exactly?”

            Rylie closed the car door and tentatively shook the girl’s hand, not answering. She heard Malachi get out of the car behind her, and it pulled off once he had shut his door, leaving her and the older man back to back in a circle of those who clearly had to be his grandchildren. Rylie didn’t know why she had envisioned actual children, but boy, was she wrong. Looking around, she gathered that each one of them was older than her, ranging from late twenties to early thirties. There were three women and five men, all similar looking: tall, fit, and light skin. There was a combination of brown and blond hair with green and blue eyes. Clearly, they were all related. And they were all staring intently on Rylie.

            She felt a hand on her shoulder and she almost jumped. “This is Miss Rylie Sommers,” Malachi introduced in English. “She is our new pediatrician, and she will be staying with us from now on.”

            “So she’s replacing Siobhan?” a blond woman to her left demanded, again in French. Rylie guessed that she believed she couldn’t understand the language. “He’s not even cold in the ground yet, Grandfather. And why is she so young? She’s practically a child herself.”

            Inwardly, Rylie pouted. _I’m not that young!_ She mentally protested. _I’m almost 25! I’m just small compared to you giants!_

            “And why so sudden Grandfather? Why have you not told us of this before now?” a man to her right asked. She paused at how similar his face was to Aidan’s father. She noticed that she hadn’t seen him in the circle of somewhat threatening adults. Maybe he wasn’t there after all.

            The others murmured in agreement to their cousins’ inquiries, leading to other questions—and in some cases, insults towards Rylie. Malachi just stood there, waiting for them to finish. When it seemed like no others would come forward, he continued. “Children,” he said, again in English, as if to further annoy his family, “we knew about Siobhan’s condition for a long time. There was no reason to delay finding his replacement. I have done thorough research into Miss Sommers and her accomplishments, and I believe that she is more than qualified for the position. I hope that you will make her and Aidan feel welcome.” His tone of voice suggested that they didn’t have a choice. Any objections died at that last line. Most of them stared at her with dislike, until they started focusing on Aidan. Their faces changed from loathing, to confusion, to shock. The woman directly in front of her, Arya, started beaming and giggling, bouncing up and down on her toes.

            Behind her, Rylie heard the front door creaking open, but no one moved. They continued to stare at her son and cast each other bewildered looks.

            “What’s going on?” she asked Malachi quietly, speaking for the first time since they stepped out of the car. “Do you think they can tell?”

            “Speaking of which,” he muttered, then asked of his grandchildren, “has anyone seen— “

            “Rylie?” a new voice hesitantly spoke up. She knew that voice, and visibly cringed. The last time she’d heard it, it was leaving her, alone and—unknown to either of them at the time—pregnant.

Rylie knew she wasn’t ready for this, and still wouldn’t be even if she had all the time in the world to prepare instead of a few hours. Her heart started racing, and she closed her eyes tightly. All the anger and sadness and fear that she had worked so hard to hide away the last two years suddenly swelled up inside her, and tears started to form from her helplessness to avoid this moment.

But the voice persisted. “Rylie,” it said again, firmer this time, wordlessly commanding her to face him. The voice that made her knees weak and shook her to her core. There were many nights when that voice had been calm and soothing, lulling her back to sleep after a bad dream, or describing the mysteries of the universe as they watched the midnight sky together.

All the memories were too much, and Rylie knew she would have to face the present if she didn’t want to be swallowed up by the past, so she took one deep, shaky breath, and turned around. She heard him gasp before she opened her eyes, and when she did, she gasped too.

He was the same as when she’d last seen him, yet at the same time, he wasn’t. For the time being, she focused on the things that did remain. His mouth, always laughing and bringing happiness to those around him, showed a disbelieving smile as he ran his hands through his hair. Lord, that hair. She could never keep her hands out of the thick black locks that were always on the wavy side, and often fell into his face, giving him a rugged, untamed look whenever he gazed at her through his wild bangs. His bronzed skin made his emerald eyes constantly seem as if they were glowing, as they were now, only this time they shone with surprise and longing.

The sight of him stirred up such forgotten feelings that she almost forgot her anger at him. She could only place a hand over her mouth as she sobbed quietly, saying his name as if he would disappear if she did not acknowledge him and tether him to this world.

“Micah…”


End file.
